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Battle with brain fog? Here’s some interesting info about brain fog that you might not know!
I’m sure you’re familiar with brain fog – that slightly spaced out feeling, in which you feel that you can’t think clearly, remember things quickly or feel detached from the present. As parents, we all know that feeling, right?! It’s a side effect of serious sleep deprivation, being called on every minute by little people, being overwhelmed with noise and busyness, and sometimes {okay, maybe usually} poor exercise and diet.
1. An interesting study about Brain Fog and Sleep
So, here’s an interesting thing about brain fog: Yes, it’s caused by lack of sleep. We’ve all heard that. But do you know WHY? I found this interesting!..
When you sleep, your brain takes out the trash. Like, literally. While sleeping, the brain flushes out toxic waste products your cells produce. Studies in rats show that this process of ‘cleanup’ goes into overdrive while asleep. Cells even shrink to make the cleanup process around them easier.
LET’S TALK FOOOOOD – THINGS THAT CAUSE BRAIN FOG:
2. DAIRY – Some people cannot absorb or digest casein (a protein in milk) or lactose (a sugar molecule in milk). If you have a dairy allergy, this could have a drug-like effect on your central nervous system & cause brain fog.
3. GLUTEN – foods that contain gluten may cause leaky gut syndrome. In short, irritation to your intestines and damage to your intestinal walls can make it difficult for your body to make the enzymes needed for proper digestion. This affects how your body absorbs nutrients, and required nutrients can’t reach your brain. So.. brain fog after a bowl of oats or toast..? Switch to a smoothie or eggs.
Another interesting cause of brain fog, related to gluten, is candida. You may hear the word and think of thrush, but candida is actually a whole lot more complex than that. Everyone has a certain level of it in their body, but when candida begins to get out of control in the body, it weakens your intestinal wall, goes into your bloodstream and releases toxins into your body, which can damage body tissue, organs and the immune system. One of the side effects of having an overproduction of candida in your body is… brain fog. So the next time you want to rush off to the doctor to treat thrush… take a moment to reevaluate your diet and lifestyle. Tackle the cause, not the symptoms! This site has extremely interesting info on this & is worth the read!
4. COFFEE, SOFT DRINKS & NOT ENOUGH WATER – these can overwhelm your kidneys and slow their ability to flush out toxic substances. If your body isn’t getting rid of these toxins, it just circulates them through your bloodstream into the brain, and hey presto.. brain fog. Drinking enough water every day helps flush toxins from your body.
This, linked with good sleep, makes so much sense regarding toxins, the brain and brain fog!! We’ve all heard the ‘get more sleep’ and ‘drink enough water’ phrases, but understanding the details helps!
Brain fog isn’t simply about sleep. Or lack thereof. It’s a lot more complex than that! It takes understanding and being proactive about your diet and lifestyle, to combat brain fog; if you want a clearer head, rethink how you are living, and make the changes! They’ll be worth it.
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